Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-22
THE CIRCUS.

Two Performances at Agricultural PARK
To-day-A Grand Street Parade.
once year one attraction comes to town
that pleases all, both young and old
and that is the circus. The menagarie
Is peculiarly attractive to the young
and one which carries with it many useful
lessons. The circus, to the boy. is the
cream of excellence. Who cannot remem-
Der his first circus-the trick donkey, the
| funny clown, the big elephant, etc. II
may have been years ago, but its recollec-
tlon is as vivid IN the mind as are trans
actions of yesterday. One of the oldest
showmen in America, and one of the most
successful, is John Robinson. He has been
IN the circus business for nearly half a GEN.
fury, has been on the road for upwards of 40
years, has always given good show, and
has never broken up in the business. He
commenced life by " advertising truthfully
and sticking 10 all his contracts" Since
clrcuses began moving On trains. Robinson
has been absorbing less pretentious COM
binations until to-day he advertises the
largest circus in the world-ten monster
clrcuses combined, together with three
large menageries, all under an immense
spread OF canvas, for one admission fee.
and arrived in Sacramento at an early hour
yesterday morning. John Lowlow, the
business manager, and also a clown, is
not stranger to Sacramento, having been
on this coast three times before the
present trip. He is a gentleman of re-
1lnement, of pleasant address, and who has
the details of this large combination
at his fingers ends, and handles the threa
hundred attaches with as much ease as
does the ordinary business man his half
dozen OF help. They travel on two i'm
mense railroad trains, owning their own
cars, which are each sixty feet in length,
and built expressly for this character of
transportation. Yesterday Mr.. Lowlow
took some reporters and others to the cir
Gus grounds in Agricultural Park, showed
them around, and gave them an insight to
circus life. 1t is the largest spread of can
vas ever seen in this CITY. The menagerje
is so extensive that it is shown under two
immense tents. In the first are the cages
OF wild and ferocious animals, in the other
are the elephants, zebras, buffaloes and rare
animals from all portions of the world.
The animals are all excellent specimens.
The lions were unusually noisy, and their
roar could be heard for blocks around. 1t
would be impossible to go into detail
OF the great number of these animals or to
even enumerate them by name In cage
with two Brazilian hyenas is a dog between
a wolf and a shepherd. This dog was
placed In the cage while the circus was in
the STATE of Nevada, by Mr.. Robinson, he
thinking that the hyenas would kill and
devour him. The dog, however, went
into the fight to win, and now is master of
the situation, The elephants are five in
number, three large and two small ones.
Mary, one OF the largest, is said TO be 140
years of age and has been in the circus
business for % years in America The
record, having killed no less than twelve
men. He is kept closely chained and to
all appearances is quite docile. These ami
mails are all well trained and take part in the
grand entree at the commencement of the
performance. When Mr. Lowlow was asked
why they gave no circus performance he
replied Mr.. Robinson is opposed to
desecrating the Sabbath. He has often
said to me that money earned on the Sab
bath never did any person any good. When
he cannot make money enough to make
the business profitable by showing six days
in the week he will quit the business"
The amphitheater in which the perform
ances will be given this afternoon and
evening is large tent supported by six
center poles containing two rings and an
elevated stage. The performers are over
100 in number, and said to be the best OBJ
tainable in Europe and America. Mr.
Lowlow said that crowd of hangers-on
were always to be found around the circus.
Three-eard monte men, swindlers of every
type, followed in the wake of the circus
who preyed upon the unsuspecting and
committed various thefts. The circus man
agement do not hold themselves response
BILE for these miscreants and do all in their
power to protect their patrons from them.
These individuals will be pointed out to
the police officers. There will be a grand
street parade at 10 A. NJ to-day